Nine "episodes" involving the exploits of a singular (an oft-used word in this collection) investigator who uses the odic force to solve mysteries, some of which are crimes. Moris Klaw sleeps at the scenes of crimes and sees the thoughts of the victims and criminals involved. Written in 1920, the stories are written in the style of the period and somewhat outlandish in the solutions. As with many of these short story collections, probably better read months apart and not in a row since some of the descriptions of the characters and their habits (the spraying of verbena!) are repeated in each story.
Content (and my rating from * to *****):
1. The Tragedies in the Greek Room - Night watchmen die in a museum's locked room where the most valuable item is removed from its case but left behind. (**)
2. The Potsherd of Anubis - an elaborate scheme is hatched to retrieve the last piece of an ancient pot. (***)
3. The Crusader's Axe - an odious man is felled by an axe few living people could wield. (*)
4. The Ivory Statue - a very heavy statue disappears from the sculptor's studio which is guarded day and night except for a 5 minute interval. (****)
5. The Blue Rajah - a priceless gem is stolen from a locked room with people watching it almost every minute. (*)
6. The Whispering Poplars - murder looks like the work of a ghost at a country estate. (**)
7. The Headless Mummies - mummies are being beheaded. (**)
8. The Haunting of Grange - the heir to a title is forced to abandon his haunted home when the hauntings become unbearable. (****)
9. The Veil of Isis - a man reconstructs an ancient rite in the worship of Isis, and regrets it later. (**)
Content (and my rating from * to *****):
1. The Tragedies in the Greek Room - Night watchmen die in a museum's locked room where the most valuable item is removed from its case but left behind. (**)
2. The Potsherd of Anubis - an elaborate scheme is hatched to retrieve the last piece of an ancient pot. (***)
3. The Crusader's Axe - an odious man is felled by an axe few living people could wield. (*)
4. The Ivory Statue - a very heavy statue disappears from the sculptor's studio which is guarded day and night except for a 5 minute interval. (****)
5. The Blue Rajah - a priceless gem is stolen from a locked room with people watching it almost every minute. (*)
6. The Whispering Poplars - murder looks like the work of a ghost at a country estate. (**)
7. The Headless Mummies - mummies are being beheaded. (**)
8. The Haunting of Grange - the heir to a title is forced to abandon his haunted home when the hauntings become unbearable. (****)
9. The Veil of Isis - a man reconstructs an ancient rite in the worship of Isis, and regrets it later. (**)
